liver is which side - #13038
I am really confused about which side the liver is. I went to the doctor after feeling this weird discomfort under my ribcage, and now I just feel overwhelmed. My friend said the liver is on the right side, but my mom told me it's on the left side. So, like, which side is it actually on? The doctor was talking about a bunch of tests and stuff, like ultrasound, but I just kept thinking about where that liver is, yknow? I also had some blood work done, and they mentioned my liver enzymes were kinda high, which makes me more worried. I mean, if the liver is on the right side, would that be related to my phantom pain on the left? It’s all so confusing. I keep asking myself – like if I lay on my back and start poking around, am I poking at my liver? Or is it more like tucked away in there? I'm scared I might have some issue that I don’t even understand yet. Ugh, help! Really, where exactly is the liver is which side? I feel lost here.
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Doctors’ responses
The liver is primarily located on the right side of the abdomen. It sits beneath the diaphragm and extends across the upper-right portion of your stomach area, with a smaller part reaching into the upper-left quadrant. The discomfort you’re feeling under your ribcage could very well be related, but it can also be due to a variety of other things in that region, like your stomach or spleen on the left side, which may be causing the feelings of confusion regarding exact location. Since your liver enzymes are elevated, it might indicate liver inflammation or some level of dysfunction, but it’s important to follow up on this with your doctor, as slightly raised results can due to causes like medications or an episode of drinking. Your doctor’s recommendation for imaging tests like an ultrasound is a standard way to visualize the structure and seek out any abnormalities that might be causing your symptoms. Poking around trying to find your liver probably won’t yield much clarity and can lead to increased anxiety, not to mention its difficult to accurately target internal organs this way! Make sure to attend all of your scheduled follow-ups and discuss any concerns openly with your healthcare provider. They can make sense of your symptoms align with any test results who’ll guide you to the right course of treatment or further examination if necessary. Remember, sometimes left-sided pain can be referred from conditions related to structures on the right side so don’t rule anything out till you’ve discussed it with your doctor.
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